Daily Press Briefing with guest Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

26 Jun 2012 - NOON GUEST TODAY

Today my guest is Yury Fedotov, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). He is here to brief you on his office’s World Drug Report.
The Secretary-General told the General Assembly’s Thematic Debate on drugs and crime today that drugs and crime threatened one of our most important goals: to ensure sustainable development around the world. We have the Secretary-General’s speech in my office and online.

SECURITY COUNCIL

The Security Council has been holding consultations this morning on the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS). The Deputy Joint Special Envoy for Syria, Nasser al-Kidwa, briefed Council members by videoconference from Geneva about the recent efforts by Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan and his team. Then, this afternoon at 3:00, the Security Council will hold consultations on the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

MALI

Twenty-five thousand vulnerable Malians displaced by conflict in the north of the country are to receive support from the United Nations. The aid – including essential non-food relief items, transport assistance, family reunification, and medical assistance – is intended for the most vulnerable people, including women, unaccompanied children, the old and those living with disabilities. The projects, implemented by the International Organization for Migration, in close collaboration with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and other humanitarian partners, will mainly target conflict-affected internally displaced people from Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal.

MYANMAR

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, will witness the signing of an agreement tomorrow in Myanmar to release children from the country’s armed forces. The new action plan sets out concrete and time-bound activities to ensure the separation of children from the armed forces and to prevent further recruitment. While in Myanmar, Ms. Coomaraswamy will meet with President Thein Sein, government ministers, UN agencies, civil society and the diplomatic community.

LIBYA

Ian Martin, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya, spoke at an event today celebrating women’s participation in the Libyan National Congress. He said that the new Libya provides a new opportunity for Libyan women to articulate their political, economic and social aspirations. And he commended civil society for its practical efforts to support women to register to vote, to educate women and men about voting, and to help women candidates.